Ida Wayan Bendi (1950)

Modern Bali

signed and annotated 'Iwy. Bendi. Batuan. Bali.' (lower left)

acrylic on canvas, 105x139 cm (with frame: 123x157 cm)

Provenance: -Collection Dr Hedi Hinzler, Leiden, the Netherlands.

This painting depicts a village scene with cars, buses, women carrying rice bundles, offerings on their heads, vendors, food stalls, barong and rangda display, boxers in an arena, a modern statue of a man, and more.
While the style referenced by Bendi is classically Balinese, the subjects depicted by him are clearly contemporary, with a sense of humour. His works meld tradition with the everyday, providing the viewer with a unique (and sometimes literal) lens through which to view and gain an understanding of the Balinese psyche.